Sampling device



R. M. LEVY SAMPLING DEVICE Jan. 18, 1949.

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4 Jan. 18, 194 9. R. E 2,459,383

SAMPLING DEVICE Filed Dec. 7, 1945 s Sheets-Sheet 2' 2 1 15 37 F 35F I 72,15 attorney.

R. M. LEVY SAMPLING DEVICE Jan. 18, 1949.

6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 7, 1945 Snvcnm: r401 I 4J XW (mom u Jan. 18, 1949. R LEVY 2,459,383

SAMPLING DEVICE FiledDeo. 7, 1945 e Sheets-Sheet 5 Snventor:

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Jan. 18; 1949." R. M.LEVIY' V 2, 3

SAMPLING DEVICE Filed Dec. 7, 1945 x 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 I I I I I I 1" v 3nventor;

attorney. 1

Patented Jan. 18, 1949 2,459,383 SAMPLING DEVICE Robert M. Levy, Brevard,

Paper Corporation,

N. C., assignor to Ecusta a corporationof Delaware Application December 7, 1945, Serial No. 633,546

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to sampling devices and more particularly to a device that is adapted for obtaining samples from a bale or compact mass of fibrous material of substantial thickness. This is a continuation-in-part of my co-pending application Serial No. 466,524, allowed June 8, 1945, which was abandoned following transfer of its subject matter to the present application.

For the purpose of determining the average physical and chemical characteristics of fibrous material stored or shipped in bales, it is essential to obtain a sample that will represent or approximate the mean or average material in the bale. This is difiicult to accomplish where the bale is of relatively great thicknessor length since this requires penetrating a substantial distance into the bale to obtain a representative sample.

In my investigation of this problem, I have found that the ordinary, portable, hand operated sampling devices used generally for sampling hard or more or less solid materials, will not work satisfactorily. If such a device is used to obtain a sample from a bale of fiber it requires very great pressure to efifect deep penetration of the bale. This portable type of device, I have found, cannot be operated satisfactorily by one man and in fact the desired type of sample cannot be obtained even when the sampling device is applied with the combined strength of several men.

Regarding the power operated sampling devices, I am not aware of any prior device that is suitable for obtaining a. representative sample from a bale or compact mass of tough fibrous material, as obtained by the device of my invention.

The sampling device of my invention overcomes the major defects and limitations of the prior devices mentioned above. It operates with relatively high pressures and has a long stroke or cutting length by virtue of the fact that the cutting tool and rotating means are mounted on a moveable carriage. With this type of arrangement the cutting tool can be progressively presented while it is rotating to the bale of fibrous material, and will thereby penetrate through the substantial depth or length of the bale being sampled. The core sample obtained in this manner is more truly representative of the average characteristics of the material in the bale than a sample obtained from the surface of the bale or l 2 even by penetrating the bale for a short depth. By virtue of this improvement it is not necessary to select and: analyze a large number of samples, as has been the practice in prior times, to obtain a true evaluation of the sampled material. i

I have found that the type of drill or cutting tool used in the sampling device is very important and that the usual corkscrew and drill forms of cutters will not Work satisfactorily. In the sampling device which I have developed I use an elongated tube having a circular knife edge formed at. the end for cutting into the fibrous material and obtaining an elongated sample core of the material. This coreis forced into the tube during the cutting operation and subsequently may be removed therefrom by a core ejecting means which is associated as an element of my sampling device.

In the operation of my device it is advantageous to use a metal core taking tube of relatively thin but strong wallconstruction and so designed that the core sample of fibrous material will have a diameter approximately the same as the inside diameter of 1 the cutting tube. If the sample has a greater diameter than this, it will tend to clog the tube and prevent smooth and eflicient operation. It is also desirable, to make the cutting end of the tube of hardened steel to prevent wear and breakage, and to weld this tip or cutting end to the remaining length of the tube, which may be of any suitable metal. Also,

instead of metal, I may use any other. suitable material that will withstand the stresses involved in the cutting operation and will not Wear out too quickly. For example, a .hard synthetic resin tube with a suitable cutting .endmight be used. The knife edge or actual cutting end of the tube which I use may be either smooth surfaced or serrated. Also, where desirechthe tip or cutting end of the tool may be an integral part of the tube if the tube material used is of sulficient hardness and strength to form and maintain a sharp cutting edge.

The device of my invention is described herein with special reference to the sampling of fibrous materials, such as, for example, straws or bast fibers or mixtures of bast fibers and'woody materials. However, the device may also be used for the sampling of other materials, such as, for example, fertilizers, earth, etc.

The details of construction and mode of operation of my sampling device will be more fully understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a side view of one embodiment of a sampling device constructed according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a corresponding front View;

Fig. 8 is a corresponding top or plan view;

Figs. 4; and 5 are detail views of the cutting end of the core taking tube shown in the preceding fi'gures;

Fig. 6 is a side view of a modified form of the sampling device of the present invention;

Figs. 7 and 8 are corresponding top and rear end views, respectively;

Fig. 9 is a detail of the associated core ejecting means.

Fig. 10 is a sectional detail of the core taking tube;

Fig. 11 is a further detail of the driving con-- i nection for the core taking tube;

, Fig. 12 is a view in perspective illustrating the type of sample obtained with my device; and

Figs. 13 and 14 are more or less diagrammatic illustrations of the manner in which the sampling deviceshown in Fig. 6 and following is presented for sampling operations.

Referring now to the drawing, the embodiment of my sampling device illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, comprises generally a base it and a vertically moveable carriage H on which a motor I2 is mounted, the carriage ll being counter-bah anced by a weight IS. The core taking tube in the form of an elongatedthin'wall'metal tube is shown at M, and the core. ejecting mechanism is indicated at 15. Means for holding the bale or 7 other material to be sampled include an adjustable support or clamp I6 and an opposing clamp 11, which is adjustable by a means-indicated at it for varying the distance between the clamps l6 and ll. The clamp I! maybe loclredina desiredv position by means of the locking device indicated at l9.

The carriage l l is moveable-upward anddownward by means of therack 211' and pinion 2|, the

latter being rotatable by a spoked wheel 22. The

weight It, which is connected to the carriage I! through the intermediary of a pulley 23 and cable 24-, is sufiicient'to hold the carriage H- in anyselected location. During operation'the carriage H and accordingly the cutting tool I4 are moveable vertically, upward and downward, by rotating the spoked wheel 22 which causes vertical displacement between the pinion or spur. gear 2land the rack 20.

As the rotating tube l4 penetrates the bale, a core of the sampled material progressively rises in the tube. When the full stroke of the cutting tube has entered the bale, the tube is raised by upward movement of the carriage H. The sample core is ejected from the tube by means of the ejecting device generally indicated at l5. This device comprises .a metal rod formed into an inverted U-shape and having hand grasp extensions 25 at its ends, and a centrally located plunger 26.

When the core ejecting deviceis not in operation it is maintained in elevated position by-means of; an upright member 21 that is attached to a supporting and guiding arm 28; For ejecting cores the device I5 is lifted upward andslightly 4 rotated to free itself from the member 21 which is forked at its extending end as indicated at 21A. When it is then lowered the central ram rod 26 progressively enters the tube 14 and pushes the sample of material out of the lower end of the tube. The fibrous sample obtained assumes generally the shape and size of the cutting tube H (see Fig. 12) but is rather easily broken up into shorter sections if desired in connection with investigations carried out on the sample.

As hereinbefore stated, the cutting end portion of the core taking tube l4 may be a separate piece. A practical example of this is shown in Fig. 4, wherein a cutter-head 29 is welded to the tube, as at 30. This particular head, as shown, has a plain circular, sharpened, cutting edge 3! that is coincident with the cylindrical inner wall face of the head, which face is in turn flush with the bore face of the tube. The lower outer face of the head 29 conical, i. e., it tapers to the cutting edge from. a cylindrical, circumferential, protuberance 32, of slightly greater diameter than the outside diameter of the tube. Above the protuberance 32 the circumference of the head 29 tapers down to the surface of the tube.

For some materials the edge of the cutting end of the tube It may be serratedas at 33 (see Fig. 5), and the end portion '34, corresponding to the aforesaid head 29, may be formed integral with the tubeas shown. In somecases the cutting edge of this integral structure may be plain and unbroken as vwith the separate head 28 shown in Fig. 4. So, too, the edge of the head v29 may be serrated if so desired. But, in any case,. the entire bore of-the tube, including the cutting end portions,

should be smooth and uninterrupted by internal protuberance of any kind. It is advantageous to provide the external annular protuberance 32 adjacent the cutting edges. By this provision the hole in the bale being sampled is expanded slightly behind the cutting edge as the tube progressively penetrates the bale. This appreciably minimizes friction between the outer face of the tube and the hole that is bored inthe bale, inasmuch asthe material'remaining in the bale nextadjacent the .vice is mounted on casters, a pairtfrof which are rigidly located, one'eaoh. on opposite sides, atone end of a rectangular platform frame 36. At the opposite end of this frame isa triangular exten- :ssison 31 supported at its apex on a swivele'd caster iAn oblong platform plate 39 is' adjustably mounted. at itsxends on theside membersof the frame 36 which are slotted, as at 40. These slots receive bolts M that are insertedupwardly therethrough, and through apertures provided therefor in the plate'39. The bolts are providedwith nuts 42 that are tightened against the plate ease asto secure it inits adjustedposition-cn the base frame.

The bale clamp i6, as shown, comprises a vertical channel member 43 having at itsjlower end an angle-footing 44 that rests slidably on the platform plate 39. Midway of its ends, theclamp member I6; has one end of an adjusting and backing screw45 swiveled thereto. The screw section support 41 and is provided at its outer end with a-spoked-wheel 48 Byturni-n'g the wheel 48 in either direction the bale clamp I5 is moved inward or outward to locate bales of different sizes on the platform plate 39.

The opposite bale clamp l1 comprises a channel member 49 similar to the channel member 43 of the clamp 6, and it is provided with a footing similar to and functioning in the same manner as the footing 44 of said member 43. Both channel members 43 and 49 have their side fianges disposed inwardly of the device so asto engage directly the opposite sides of a .bale placed between them. Thus, the flanges of the members 43 and 49 indent the sides of the bale when said members are pressed thereagainst in clamping effect.

Pinned at one end to the clamp member 49, as at 5|, is a preferably tubular, push-and-pull bar 52. This bar is slidable through a horizontal guide sleeve 53 that is located between and welded or otherwise rigidly secured to a spaced pair of vertical, angle-section, supports 54 that are pro vided with a stout, rigid, footing 55 welded or otherwise fastened with stable support on the platform plate 39. The sleeve 53 is split longitudinally, as at 5B, and is formed with apertured lugs 57 on opposite sides of the slit. The aperture of one of these lugs is screw-threaded to receive the correspondingly threaded end portion of a shouldered clamping screw 58 Whose reduced portion adjacent the screw threaded portion works freely, both rotatably and longitudinally,

in the aperture of the opposed lug, with its shoulder engaging the same lug. Thus, by turning the screw 58, the split portion of the sleeve 53 is either loosened or tightened and the bar 52 accordingly either made free to move in the sleeve 1 or tightly secured against movement. A suitable handle or operating lever 59 is provided on the screw element for convenient manipulation thereof.

For forcibly operatin the clamp element 49 the push-and-pull bar 52 is provided on opposite sides with a pair of link members 60 that pivotally connect it with the bifurcated portions 6| of an operating lever 62. The forks 6| of the lever 62 are pivotally mounted, as at 63, on bracket arms 64 that are welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the pair of uprights 54. Thus, with a bale placed on the platform plate 39, and the clamping element l5 adjusted against one side of the bale, the other clamping element I1 is readily movable into clamping contact with the opposite side of the bale by the hand of a single operator. The operator has only to first manipulate the lever 59 with one hand (usually the left) to loosen the pushand-pull bar 52. Then, with his other hand operate the lever 62 to force the bar 52 inward until the clamping element I1 is pressed against the bale. After the bale is thus clamped and the bar 52 again locked by reverse actuation of the lever 59, the same operator is then free to operate the core sampling means of the apparatus through the instrumentalities hereinbefore described.

In the construction and arrangement illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, of the drawing, the core taking and ejecting means, hereinbefore generally described, is carried on a single, tubular, main supporting co1umn 55 supportedly secured itself, at its lower end, in a socket element 66 that is in turn solidly supported on a pair of cross members 57 of the base frame 36 comprising part of the portable base ||l. I

The column is braced on the base It by inclined lateral stays GB of angle-section and a pair of longitudinal stays 69. It not only supports and guides the carriage H but also houses the counter-balancing weight l3. The weight cable pulley 23 and the ejector-carrying arm 28 are also mounted on the upper end portion of the column.

The carriage H, as shown, comprises opposed upper and lowerarms 10. These arms have baseend portions 1| bored to fit slidably and are guided in longitudinal movement, without rotation, on the column 55 by an elongated spline l2 fixed on the column, (see Fig. 1). The base portions II are rigidly connected and held spaced apart by an angle-section strut member 13 at one side of the column and at the opposite side by a flat strut member 74. The end of the weight cable 24 is connected, as at 75, to the upper end portion of the strut member 14 (see Fig. 1).

The strut member 14 has the conventionally shown, hereinbefore described, motor l2 mounted thereon, as at 1B. Onthe motor shaft is a driving pulley belted, as at 18, to a driven pulley l9 fixed on a tubular vertical spindle 89 that is journaled in suitable rotary and end-thrust bearings, shown conventionally at the outer end portions ill of the carriage arms 10 (see Fig. 1). The upper end portion of the tubular cutting and sample-core-taking tube 4 is secured in the spindle 89 by suitable collets 82 (conventionally shown). The tube 4, of course, extends some distance below the carriage H and is of a length sufficient to penetrate substantially the full vertical thickness of the largest size bale to be sampled on the platform plate at the base of the apparatus. Accordingly, the carriage II is liftable to a height on the column 65 so that the bottom end of the tool I can clear the top of a positioned tale of maximum vertical dimension. The ejector rod or plunger 25 is made proportionately long enough to traverse the entire length of the tube l4 so as to completely extrude the sample corn taken therein.

In the presently described structure, the rack 20, by which the carriage I is raised and lowered, has its upper end portion secured to the extended lower end portion of the strut member 14, as at 83. The lower portion of the rack is guided in itslongitudinal travel through a bracket 84, a portion of which is looped around the column 65 and bolted as at 85 or otherwise secured in place. This bracket 84 also supports the pinion 2| which is in engagement with and actuates the rack. A shaft 8 6 that rotates the pinion 2| and carries the spoked operating wheel 22 is supported in a bearing 8'! on an upright, angle-section, member or post 88. This member 88 is secured at its lower end to one side of the base H), and it is braced by a diagonal stay 89. As shown, the stay inclines from its upper portion that is attached to the member 88, across the device, and is fastened at its lower end to the opposite side of the base H).

The modified form of thesampling device of the present invention illustrated in Fig. 6 and following of the drawing, differs from the embodiment just described in that it is arranged with a horizontally disposed core taking tube 9|] and adapted so that the core taking tube may be readily presented in opposed position to a bale of fibrous material for a, sample taking operation.

The core taking tube 9(1 is disposed in this manner on a supporting frame structure comprising bottom side members 9| which are formed to converge rearwardly, as shown, and cross members 92 and 93 extending between side mem-- bers 9| in front. The rear converging ends of side members 9| are joined by a plate member as indicated at 94, and a bracket 95 is also arranged at this point to carry a swivel mounted roller 96. Similar brackets 91 are arranged at the front ends of side members ill to provide mountings for front rollers 98. By this arrangement the supporting frame structure is adapted for presenting the core taking tube 90 easily to an opposed supported bale in order to take. a sample.

The supporting frame structure further oomprises upstanding support arms which are inclined inwardly, two of which are arranged forwardly as at as and tell, and a third is positioned to extend from the rear plate member M as at IIlI. The upper extending ends of these support arms as, Hill, and IGI, are disposed for supporting attachment to-a bracket member indicated at I62 in Fig. 6. The bracket member I02 is formed with a bottom portion adapted as at I03 to support a motor drive IM, and with bearing standards I85 and its in which bearing mountings it? and IE8 for supporting the core taking tube 9b are pro vided, as described more in detail below.

The arrangement for supporting the core taking tube 99 is shown best in Figs. 10 and 11, and comprises a sleeve H38 which is freely rotatable in bearings I? and I08 but is retained against endwise movement by collars Hi] fixed in place as by set screws II E. A pulley member H2 is keyed on sleeve I03 between bearing mountings It? and Ideas at I13, and this pulley member H2 is driven througha suitable connection, such as belt i It, from motor drive I04. The mot-or drive I84 may consist of an electric motor as illustrated, the. connections for the motor being shown at I I5 running to a switch control H6 beyond which a conventional extension is arranged, as indicated at Ill, for connection to any convenient power source (not shown). The switch control H6 is positioned in easy reach on an upright I I8 which may be steadied by a brace as at I Ill.

The sleeve me is further arranged with an internal diameter adapted to receive the core taking tube at as shown in Figs. 10 and 11. At the forward end of sleeve I99 notches I20 are provided to engage interfitting lugs I25 formed in a flange I22 on core taking tube 90. This notch and lug arrangement provides a fixed clutch connection between core taking tube 96 and sleeve Hi9 which is adapted for easy assembly and removal of core taking tube til. As sleeve IDS is driven through pulley H2 and belt IIlt from motor Iiid, the core taking tube Qil will be rotated with sleeve Ills, by virtue of the fixed clutch connection just described, for operation as a sample is taken.

The extending end of core taking tube at is provided, as before, with a cutting tip I23 which as previously mentioned may be formed of material having appropriate cutting characteristics and welded in place as at I2%.- When presented to a bale to be sampled this butting tip I23 will penetrate the bale and efiect taking of a sample which will be received in core taking tube 90 as the penetration progresses. The disposition of the supporting frame structure is such that the core taking tube 96 and associated cutting tip I23 may be easily presented for this operation in relation to an opposed suported bale. The frame structure may be further adapted for this purpose by arranging a manipulating handle as at I25 through which positioning of the frame structure may be conveniently controlled and the necessary pressure for the core taking operation advantageously exerted.

The type of sample obtained with my device is illustrated in Fig. 12, and it will be understood that. this sample will be contained in the core taking tube after removal from the bale being sampled. The arrangement of the electin means for removing this sample from the core taking tube in the first embodiment of my invention described above hasalready been noted. In thepresently described modified form of my invention, the ejecting means takes the iorm'of a rod member. I26 having a handle portion I21. The rod member I28 is formed in a diameter such as will allow it to fit snugly but easily movable in the core taking tube 90 (see Fig. 10). Ejector rod I26 may accordingly be associated with core taking tube to as illustrated in Fig. 10, with the handle portion I21 extending to the rear as shown in Fig. 6, for example. In this position, the relative disposition of handle portion I21 and frame structure handle I25 will prevent ejector rod I26 from rotating with core taking tube 90 during the sample taking operation.

After the sample has been taken into the tube at as described above, and the frame structure has been manipulated to remove tube 90 from I the sampled bale, theejector rod I26 may then be advanced in tube at to recover the sample for investigation. For this purpose, ejector rod I26 extends in excess of the length of core taking tube 90 so that complete ejection can be effected,

and handle portion I2'I provides a convenient.

means for obtaining the necessary leverage on rod We to force the ejection.

The application of this modified form of my invention in commercial operations is illustrated in Figs. 13 and 14. Bales oi fibrous material, such as bast fiber, are indicated at I28 on a skid I29 as they might be arranged for storage at a paper mill, for example. In order to determine the average physical and chemical characteristics of these bales it is necessary, as mentioned above, to take representative samples for investigation. The presently described modified form of my invention is readily adapted for this purpose without requiring any disarrangement of the bales as prepared for storage, as indicated above. The sampling device may be presented to the bales I28 as they stand on the skid I25 (see Fig. l4) to takev samples from a representative number of the bales.

The position assumed by the. core taking tube during the sample taking, operation is illustrated in Fig. 13. As shown, the core taking tube is presented lengthwise of the bale to take full advantage of the depth of penetration possible by virtue of the arrangement according to the present invention. The sample taking operation may be performed easily and rapidly in this manner, and may in fact be carried out in connection with transfer of the bales to storage after they have been unloaded and arranged on the skids I255.

In either of the illustrated embodiments of my sampling device, it will be noted'that the bale sampler is provided with a supporting member or frame structure forming a stable and independent support relative to a bale to be sampled so that relatively great pressure may be exerted to cut and remove a sample from the bale; and that associated ejecting means are arranged to recover the sample taken from the bale for investigation. It will accordingly be apparent that the structural details of my sampling device as described above may be modified and changed within the scopeof the appended claims, and that ,the present invention is not limited to the specific constructions described above and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

I claim:

1. In a bale sampler and the like, a wheeled supporting base, means for positioning and clamping a bale or other compact mass of material to hold the same on the base, an open-ended, interiorly unobstructed, vertically moveable, motor-driven, rotatable core-taking tube located vertically above the bale or mass supporting area of the base, the tube having an annular, forward, cutting end, to penetrate the underlying psitioned material and take a core of the material into the tube, manually operable means for raising and lowering said core-taking tube at will, and manually operable ejector means for removing the entire core of material taken into the tube, said ejector means comprising an elongated, vertical rod of excess length and approximate tube-bore diameter, cooperatively positioned normally above and in axial alignment with and enterable endwise and movable lengthwise in said core-taking tube, an inverted, substantially U-shape operator element rigidly secured at its middle to the upper end of said ejector rod, with the legs of said operator element depending in spaced, parallel relation on opposite sides of said rod and having hand grasp portions at their lower ends for the downward and upward manipulative actuation of the rod, and means for releasably holding said ejector rod in its raised, normally inactive position.

2. In a bale sampler, a wheeled supporting base, an open-ended, interiorly unobstructed, motor-driven, rotatable core-taking tube mounted on the base, the core-taking tube having an annular, forward, cutting end adapted to penetrate a bale or other compact mass of material and take a core of the material into the tube, manually operable means for forcing the coretaking tube into and withdrawing it from the material at will, and manually operable ejector means for removing the entire core of material taken into the core-taking tube, said ejector means comprising an elongated rod of excess length and approximate tube-bore diameter, cooperatively positioned in axial alignment with and enterable endwise and movable lengthwise in said core-taking tube, an inverted, substantially U-shape operator element rigidly secured at its middle to the rear end of said ejector rod, with the legs of said operator element extending in spaced, parallel relation on opposite sides of said rod and having hand grasp portions at their forward ends for manipulative actuation of the rod, and means for releasably holding said ejector rod in normally inactive position.

3. A bale sampler supported independently of the bale to be sampled and adapted to exert relatively great pressure against a bale of compact fibrous material to cut and remove a cylindrically shaped sample therefrom, comprising a wheeled supporting member forming a stable and independent support on a floor or like surface rela tive to the material to be sampled, an elongated, cylindrical, core-taking tube rotatably mounted on said supporting member and extending in core-taking length beyond its mounting on said supporting member, said tube being open at its opposite ends, being formed with a bore of uniform diameter whereby said tube is interiorly unobstructed throughout its entire length, and having a forward cutting end adapted to penetrate an opposed supported bale of fibrous material and take into the tube a core of the material as the same is cut, cooperatively associated power means for rotating said core-taking tube, means for guiding said core-taking tube when said tube is forced endwise into the opposed bale and for withdrawing the tube from the bale, a cooperatively associated ejector rod of substantial length and approximate tube-bore diameter, and means for detachably supporting said ejector rod on said supporting member in axial alignment with the core-taking tube to facilitate manual entry thereof endwise into and movement lengthwise through said core-taking tube to eject from the tube for further use the fibrous sample taken from the bale.

4. A bale sampler adapted to exert relatively great pressure against a compact bale of fibrous material to cut and remove a sample therefrom, comprising a supporting member forming a stable and independent support on a floor relative to the fibrous bale to be sampled, an elongated, cylindrical, core-taking tube rotatably mounted on said supporting member, said tube being formed with a bore of uniform diameter whereby it is interiorly unobstructed throughout its entire length and having a forward cutting end adapted to penetrate an opposed supported bale of fibrous material and take into the tube a core of the material as the same is cut, means for rotating said core-taking tube, an ejector rod of approximately tube-bore diameter cooperatively associated with said tube, and means for detachably supporting said ejector rod on said supporting member in axial alignment with said tube to facilitate manual entry thereof endwise into and movement lengthwise through said tube after the tube has cut the sample and has been removed from the bale to eject from the tube for investigation the fibrous sample taken from the bale.

5. A bale sampler supported independently of a bale to be sampled and adapted to be moved and brought into opposing position to the bale and to exert relatively great pressure against the bale to cut and remove a sample therefrom, comprising a supporting member adapted to be disposed on a floor relative to the bale to be sampled, an elongated, cylindrical, core-taking tube rotatably mounted and horizontally disposed on said supporting member, said tube being formed with a bore of uniform diameter whereby it is interiorly unobstructed throughout its entire length and having a forward cutting end adapted to penetrate an opposed supported bale to be sampled and take into the tube a core of the material as the same is cut, means for rotating said core-taking tube, an ejector rod of approximate tube-bore diameter cooperatively associated with said tube, and means for detachably supporting said ejector rod on said supporting memher in axial alignment with said tube to facilitate manual entry thereof endwise into and movement lengthwise through said tube after the tube has cut the sample and has been removed from the bale to eject from the tube for investigation the fibrous sample taken from the bale.

6. A bale sampler adapted to be brought into opposing position to a bale to be sampled and to exert relatively great pressure against the bale to out and remove a sample therefrom, comprising a supportin member forming a stable and independent support on a floor relative to the: bale to be sampled, a cylindrical core-taking tube rotatably mounted on said supporting member, said tube being formed with a uniform bore whereby it is interiorly unobstructed throughout its entire length and having a forward cutting end adapted to penetrate an opposed bale and take into the:

tubes. sample core from :the'bale ensv the same'is cut, means for rotating-'- said core tetlting tube,

and an ejector'rodiof approximately tube bore diameter: cooperatively associated withisaid core 1 taking: tube and supported on said supporting member in axial alignment with said core-taking.

tube, said ejector rod being: adapted, for manual entryendwise into the tube after a core'has been cut and removed from the bale to eject from the tube for.investigationthe sample'core taken from the-bale;

ROBERTM'. LEVY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent? UNITED STATES PATENTS 

